Year in Review: Drew and Leah Watson of Hops and Pie

Drew and Leah Watson and friend outside their Tennyson Street business this week (photo taken especially for The Denver Post!)

Editor’s note: As 2012 draws to a close, we’re asking leading figures on Colorado’s beer scene to reflect on the past year and look ahead to 2013. This post features Drew and Leah Watson of Hops and Pie, the artisan pizza place and craft-beer mecca in northwest Denver that expanded this year. The Watsons are planning a brewery of their own, too.

Favorite craft beer of the year: Man this is a really tough one. Being that we are huge barrel-aged beer fans and this year was the first release of Uncle Jacob’s Stout from Avery, this was our favorite, no question. It’s a huge beer but sitting back and enjoying it while it slowly comes to room temp it gets better and better. It will age brilliantly, too. We have a few tucked away and look forward to trying one year after year – of course, that’s if we can be that patient (doubtful).

Colorado brewery of the year: Again very difficult. We are going to have to go with Crooked Stave on this one. Chad’s beers are complex, unique and delicious. In a quickly saturating market of IPAs, it is a breath of fresh air to have a steady flow of creative and well made/balanced barrel-aged ales. Not only are they great to have by themselves, they are also amazing food beers. Their beers have a lot of similarity to wine and it is a lot of fun to design a meal around a few of them.

Biggest craft beer news or trend in 2012: The biggest trend was the craft beer itself. The amount of breweries, craft beer bars and specialty bottle shops that popped up in 2012 is astonishing.

Colorado brewery to watch in 2013: There are so many new breweries and so many that have been around that are moving into bigger facilities so they can make more beer. The new one to watch for us is going to have to be Crooked Stave because they are always making new and amazing stuff. We are always excited to see what’s next. The one to watch that has enhanced their capabilities for us is Upslope. We have watched them in the last two years go from a tiny little Boulder brewery to a brewery that has an ever-growing market presence and we are really curious/excited to see what direction they are going to head in with their new facility.

Craft beer trend to look for in 2013: More breweries, beer bars and beer geeks. The bubble is going to continue to grow and keep your fingers crossed the “pop” is nowhere in sight!

Our new iPad app serves as a guide to metro Denver’s bountiful breweries, beer bars and bottle shops, the holy trinity of craft beer enjoyment for followers and fans. Download the app for iPad .
Next time you head for a beer in Boulder, don’t forget your friend, Beers of Boulder and Boulder County, an iPad app from the Daily Camera. Download the app for iPad .

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In Colorado, our pint glasses overflow with excellent beer. New breweries, new batches, festivals every other week. How lucky are we? First Drafts is The Denver Post's beer blog aimed at helping you keep tabs on the state's ever-expanding craft beer culture. We offer a mash of news, event coverage, homegrown stories, tasting notes and tips to help you imbibe. Expert drinker or homebrewer? Let us know what you're loving about Colorado's beer scene. Not sure exactly what a firkin is? No worries, let us be your guide. Go ahead. Belly up and drink it in!